Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
Self-Reflection
Has it been 7 weeks so far? Before stepping foot into the school, I had some anxiety about the student teaching experience based on feedback from a previous years class in combination with feedback from those who have graduated from this program. "It is stress-ful, students can be brutal, you will not have time for anything else, you will absolutely need February Vacation when it hits, etc, etc, etc". I am sure you get the point...........
I can honestly say that all though student teaching is challenging in regards to time management, it is an enjoyable experience over all. I feel as though teaching comes very naturally to me. I do not feel like this is the first 7 weeks I have ever taught but more so, like I have been doing it throught out my career.
This by all means, should not translate as to I am "at the top of my game" each day. There is a balanced mix of good days and bad days.
The good days equate students being fully engaged, interuptions are kept at a minimum, the interest level and class discussion/engagement is high, the level of comprehension and application from a class is above my level of expectation for a new topic. My lesson appears seamless. I have announced the agenda, objectives and homework as well as added it to the board (this is done every day). I have no trouble providing students with examples that help explain or demonstrate a concept we just learned about. A good day is when after a test, students tell me that it was more difficult than expected but it was 100% fair. A good day is when my CT tells me that he couldn't find one thing that he would change to improve the lesson. Most of all, a good day is when I walk out of the school feeling accomplished and happy that I have made a difference in the slightest, possible way.
A bad day may resemble a fire drill mid lab, a student throwing up on their classmates, students appearing lathargic and unmotivated, a student caught rolling her eyes at me, a student shooting his mouth off with sarcastic remarks as he sees fit until I give it right back and a series of questions that I am not capable of answering on the spot. A bad day is a misconstrued email from a parent regarding the planned curricula. A bad day is when I noticed a spelling error or duplicated questions on a lab and there have already been 100 copies made. A bad day is any day that I leave the building, thinking to myself "Could there be anything else that will add to this horrific day"
The great thing about this experience is that you will always have the opportunity to try something and if it doesnt work, correct it before having to do it for the 2nd time. The job is full of lifesavors (prep periods, white out, smart boards, practice, ct advise, etc). The key is when you have a bad day, go home, debrief, take a deep breath and I do not let it affect my game for the next day.
I have learned that I am good at:
1. Classroom Management
2. Creating Activities outside of the box
3. Creating a unit assessment from scratch
4. Using my body language, voice, pitch and questioning to keep students engaged
5. Utilizing familiar examples that students can make connections with in order to better understand a topic
6. Incorporating the use of other content areas (English, History, Language and Math) when possible
7. Learning to identify, adjust, revise lessons before the 2nd try
8. I am learning how to incorporate my personality into each day now that the stigmas of the "New Student" teacher has been broken down.
What I need to improve:
1. Slowing down the pace. It is okay to go into the next day for a lesson. I was so concerned about accomplishing 3 activities in a 90 minute block that I rushed through concepts or activites with out a time for reflection or discussion just so I can keep my lesson plan book happy.............RUSHING = NOT LEARNING= BAD GRADES= PISSED OFF STUDENTS
I take my time now. I ask more quetsions, I have class discussions. I need to continue working on this.
2. Content Content Content. I need to truly educate myself on my content area through different sources, news articles, scientific journals...Honors students think they know all. I find myself in front of the classroom (secretly getting flustered) if a questions that I do not know is presented. I have learned to admit "I dont know, its a good question I will get back to you" or "Does anyone want to contribute a piece of knowledge to that" or I can have the student look it up and share with us the net morning.
Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
Self-Reflection
Has it been 7 weeks so far? Before stepping foot into the school, I had some anxiety about the student teaching experience based on feedback from a previous years class in combination with feedback from those who have graduated from this program. "It is stress-ful, students can be brutal, you will not have time for anything else, you will absolutely need February Vacation when it hits, etc, etc, etc". I am sure you get the point...........
I can honestly say that all though student teaching is challenging in regards to time management, it is an enjoyable experience over all. I feel as though teaching comes very naturally to me. I do not feel like this is the first 7 weeks I have ever taught but more so, like I have been doing it throught out my career.
This by all means, should not translate as to I am "at the top of my game" each day. There is a balanced mix of good days and bad days.
The good days equate students being fully engaged, interuptions are kept at a minimum, the interest level and class discussion/engagement is high, the level of comprehension and application from a class is above my level of expectation for a new topic. My lesson appears seamless. I have announced the agenda, objectives and homework as well as added it to the board (this is done every day). I have no trouble providing students with examples that help explain or demonstrate a concept we just learned about. A good day is when after a test, students tell me that it was more difficult than expected but it was 100% fair. A good day is when my CT tells me that he couldn't find one thing that he would change to improve the lesson. Most of all, a good day is when I walk out of the school feeling accomplished and happy that I have made a difference in the slightest, possible way.
A bad day may resemble a fire drill mid lab, a student throwing up on their classmates, students appearing lathargic and unmotivated, a student caught rolling her eyes at me, a student shooting his mouth off with sarcastic remarks as he sees fit until I give it right back and a series of questions that I am not capable of answering on the spot. A bad day is a misconstrued email from a parent regarding the planned curricula. A bad day is when I noticed a spelling error or duplicated questions on a lab and there have already been 100 copies made. A bad day is any day that I leave the building, thinking to myself "Could there be anything else that will add to this horrific day"
The great thing about this experience is that you will always have the opportunity to try something and if it doesnt work, correct it before having to do it for the 2nd time. The job is full of lifesavors (prep periods, white out, smart boards, practice, ct advise, etc). The key is when you have a bad day, go home, debrief, take a deep breath and I do not let it affect my game for the next day.
I have learned that I am good at:
1. Classroom Management
2. Creating Activities outside of the box
3. Creating a unit assessment from scratch
4. Using my body language, voice, pitch and questioning to keep students engaged
5. Utilizing familiar examples that students can make connections with in order to better understand a topic
6. Incorporating the use of other content areas (English, History, Language and Math) when possible
7. Learning to identify, adjust, revise lessons before the 2nd try
8. I am learning how to incorporate my personality into each day now that the stigmas of the "New Student" teacher has been broken down.
What I need to improve:
1. Slowing down the pace. It is okay to go into the next day for a lesson. I was so concerned about accomplishing 3 activities in a 90 minute block that I rushed through concepts or activites with out a time for reflection or discussion just so I can keep my lesson plan book happy.............RUSHING = NOT LEARNING= BAD GRADES= PISSED OFF STUDENTS
I take my time now. I ask more quetsions, I have class discussions. I need to continue working on this.
2. Content Content Content. I need to truly educate myself on my content area through different sources, news articles, scientific journals...Honors students think they know all. I find myself in front of the classroom (secretly getting flustered) if a questions that I do not know is presented. I have learned to admit "I dont know, its a good question I will get back to you" or "Does anyone want to contribute a piece of knowledge to that" or I can have the student look it up and share with us the net morning.
Ask me for an update in 7 weeks....More to Come!